4. ETHICS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

n Introduction & Definition
- Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right & wrong in human affairs.
- Refers to standards used to determine right from wrong, or good from bad, in thought & behaviour.
- Public speakers face ethical issues at every stage of the speechmaking process - from the initial decision to speak through the final presentation of the message.
Guidelines for Ethical Speaking
n 1. Make sure your goals are ethically sound
- what do you as a speaker/presenter hope to accomplish?
- if you are a responsible speaker/presenter, you cannot escape assessing the ethical soundness of your goals.

 

2. Be fully prepared for each speech
n A speaker have the obligation (to him/herself and the listeners) to prepare fully every time he/she stand before an audience
n It involves everything from analysing the audience to creating visual aids, organising ideas to rehearsing delivery.
n Most importantly is being fully informed about the subject matter.
3. Be honest in what you say
n Public speaking rests on the unspoken assumption that "words can be trusted and people will be truthful."
n Without the assumption, there is no basis for communication.
n Dishonesty = blatant contempt for truth, juggling statistics, quoting out of context, etc.
n Ethically responsible speakers do not plagiarise their speeches.
4. Avoid name-calling & other forms of abusive language
n Words are powerful weapons that can leave psychological scars.
n Our identities, who & what we are, how others see us, are greatly affected by the names we are called & the words with which we are labeled.
n Name-calling is the use of language to defame, demean, or degrade others; just as sexist language is. Also, words & phrases that convey negative, stereotyped, misleading views of women.

5. Put ethical principles into practice

n It is always easier to say rather than act ethically.
n A responsible public speaker believes that "being ethical means behaving ethically all the time - not only when it's convenient."
n It is an ethical act to make your speech as informative, as persuasive, or as entertaining as possible.
n How? As you work on your speeches, ask yourself questions like, "Is my choice of topic suitable for the audience?" "Are my supporting materials clear & convincing?"

Plagiarism
n Plagiarius (Latin) = kidnapper;
n (mod. def.) literary/artistic/musical theft
n to plagiarise means to present another person's language/ideas as your own;
n false assumption of authorship - the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind and presenting it as one's own.
3 types of plagiarism :
n 1. Global plagiarism
n -stealing your speech entirely from another source & passing it off as your own.
n -grossly unethical; unforgivable
n -to avoid: start preparing for the speech early

n 2. Patchwork plagiarism
n -stealing in small quantity from two or three sources
n -thus, it is important to do enough research, thinking & come up with your own angle on subject matter.

 

3 types of plagiarism :
n 3. Incremental plagiarism
n -pirating partly from a source(s)
n -speaker fails to give credit for particular parts/increments of speech borrowed from others.
n -2 most important: quotations & paraphrases
n -2 ways to avoid:
- be careful when taking research notes to distinguish among direct quotations, paraphrased material, & your own comments.
- when in doubt, cite your source.
Guidelines for Ethical Listening

n 1 Be Courteous & Attentive

n -a responsibility which is also a matter of civility in any circumstance.
n -novices need encouraging, sympathetic listeners to help maintain morale and confidence.

2 Avoid Prejudging the Speaker
n -one of the major barriers of effective listening.
n -aim: to listen carefully to the ideas, assess the evidence & reasoning offered in support of those ideas, and reach an intelligent judgement about the speech/presentation.
n -if you prejudge a speaker (either positively or negatively) you will fail in one of your ethical responsibilities as a listener.

3 Maintain the Free & Open Expression of Ideas

n -listeners have an obligation to maintain the speaker's right to be heard.
n -but ensuring a person's freedom to express his/her ideas does not imply agreement with those ideas.
n -there's no better way to maintain liberty & human dignity than to protect the free & open expression of ideas.